In the ancient days the Oracles at Delphi, priestesses and priests of the temples, psychics, seers, witch doctors and shamans were the channelers of energies from archetypes to nature spirits to their own spirit guides. All civilizations and cultures had one form or another of mystics or trance channelers providing services with their abilities to tap into different dimensions and bring through knowledge the masses were untrained to do themselves. And the shamans and priests have kept this art form alive until this day when it can now be utilized by most anyone, whenever they desire.

In many cultures channelers were highly regarded, treated with great respect, and given honors. However, throughout history, many have been wrongly accused and misunderstood, (usually a result of fear tactics from religious teachings because they didn't want people to know they could connect with the Source themselves), as practicing evil or demonic rituals, and were murdered for being witches or sorcerers, i.e., Joan of Arc.

Channeling has undergone a major transformation in this century. Today is it no longer necessary to have a middle-person in order to bridge person and God. Channeling today does not necessarily require the channel to go into an unconscious trance while channeling, and having no memory or responsibility for what comes through them. Today's channels are being given the opportunity to realize how they are co-creators in the channeling phenomenon, being equal to the entities they channel. More and more channels are being more conscious of what is occurring in their altered state and taking responsibility for their co-creation: being as clear a channel as they can be, allowing themselves to step aside in the process and allow their mentors to fully come through, and then using the channeled messages to assist in their personal growth.

However, today we still face similar, albeit not so radical, accusations and are sometimes ridiculed, still being grossly misunderstood and feared. This is in part due to channelers who are have not had training and bring through certain points of view that are questionable, or downright packed with misinformation, and through channels who do not continue to do their own inner growth processes. Unfortunately, people not aware of what a clear channeling is tend to lump together the good channelers with the not-so-good channelers. This means that the quality information is often lost by the wayside. Regardless, we can utilize these issues as a great learning experience for us all.

Let's clear up some of myths and get down to basics about channeling and channelers.

First of all, channeling is not the same as meditating. In meditation, one has the option of connecting with their higher self or guides or Source for their own growth without having to channel them (but can communicate with them). Meditation can also be used to relax the body or for healing, to do an visualization exercise, etc.

An important distinction must be realized between channeling and mediumship. The term mediumship is often interchanged with channeling. Mediumship, however, is an older term - channeling having been used more often since the 1960's. Both mediumship and channeling are done by finely tuning into a specific dial on the electromagnetic frequency spectrum (similar to a radio), allowing connection to other parts of ourselves, the Source or other entities. One may be a medium or a channel; some people are both. The purpose of channeling is to receive more love and knowledge.

Both mediumship and channeling are co-creations and can afford some of the same possibilities, and yet, there are distinct differences. I like this explanation that was given, and shared with permission, by one of my teachers, Shawn Randall channeling Torah: Channeling is when you are primarily providing a service of counseling, teaching or healing for yourself and others. Mediumship is primarily providing a service to spiritual entities, who have their specific agendas. [* Please see addendum at end of this article.]

Examples of channeling are in allowing ourselves to open and connect to our own higher self (our true essence), the Source, or by allowing a loving teaching entity to express itself through us. This type of entity's focus is to share wisdom, knowledge, counseling assistance, healing, self-empowerment, and other forms of creativity that benefits the channel as well as the whole of humanity. Channeling may also come in the form of relaying information telepathically from a mentor without being in a full trance. Channeling is a sharing of energies, a creation of new energies, and a mirroring process wherein the channeler, the audience and even the being that is channeled are receiving much from the process. Channeling is like a triangle: two energies connecting, coming together, creating a third through their relationship.

Some channels may keep their eyes open or closed or move around while channeling, depending on the channel and the form the channeling takes. There are channels who speak, write, dance, play or compose music, create artwork or new technology, or do healing. Some channels are multi-channels, meaning they can do several different forms of channeling with ease and expertise.

When we daydream and have visions, are rapt up in reading, watching a film, or in anything we are doing that we truly love doing with a real focus and intention so that time doesn't seem to exist, we can say that we are channeling, as in that moment we are being open to receiving and in a slightly altered state of consciousness, tuning into something specific.

Do we HAVE TO channel? Of course not. Do we NEED to have information from another entity? No. So, why intentionally channel? We are divine beings and creators. When we open up to more of All That Is - we know more of who we are and the possibilities are endless. "By learning to be in touch with our electrical and biological selves, we can make ourselves higher beings who transmit the spiritual side of life...When you reach the point where you can control this energy and transform it into a positive force, you have found the part of you that is God." (Saved By The Light, by Dannion Brinkley with Paul Perry, 1994, p. 127.)

So, channeling is an art form that opens up creativity and greater possibilities for ourselves through the doorway of love and imagination - which is the doorway to more wisdom and God. Through channeling we open up to new realms of awareness and perspectives. We are more connected with the universality of life. And we can use it to create whatever we desire.

As a service, channeling requires and brings the openness to love, trust, and the ability and desire to receive. It also requires and affords more focus, intent, clarity, discretion and self-knowledge and self-respect, and is an on-going process. And in turn, when done properly and clearly, brings all more teaching, love, energy, clarity, focus, inspiration, empowerment, alternatives, compassion, sovereignty, joy, wisdom, increased abundance and much growth.

Many years ago, when I accepted that I was channel, I began studying with teachers who I felt were the best in this field. As the classes progressed, and I became more open and more involved in my own growth process, I needed to confront my own fears regarding channeling. Spiritual mentors, channeled through my teachers, began communicating with me in my dreamstate and meditations, assisting me in understanding myself and what I needed to process.

One experience was the most profound for me as it changed my view of channeling, and my life. One night, in a meditation, I went to a classroom aboard a craft. Standing in the front of the room was the being known as Bashar (an extraterrestrial teacher who is from our future), who I have often spoken with through his channel, Darryl Anka. Seated next to me was an acquaintance of mine, another channel. Bashar looked at us and stated, "This is a class on fear. At any moment, I can change into something - anything at all. But, you won't know what it is, until it happens." Okay - that did it. I was terror-stricken and made a fearful dash for the door shouting, "I'm outta here!"

But, something compelled me to stay - maybe even curiosity. Somehow I knew that I had to confront my fears and the next moment I was back in my seat watching Bashar. Suddenly, he began morphing into the most hideous, monstrous creatures I could imagine! My heart was pounding, I was panicky, and yet I kept looking at this picture deeper and deeper. I felt I was both a participant and an observer. What was really going on here?!

BINGO! ZAP! I merged into oneness and clarity hit me. I bursted out laughing and couldn't stop laughing for a few minutes. When the laughter calmed I looked at Bashar, with geniune love, respect and gratitude, and said, "Thank you, Bashar! This was the best class I've ever had!" Bashar asked me what I had learned from it. I replied, "You NEVER transformed into anything at all! It was my own fears of what COULD be that went wild and freaked me out. But, the reality is that you never changed! The fears and creation of what I was seeing came from within me!" And Bashar smiled and said, "Yes!" And the next moment I was back in this third dimension, reeling from what had just occurred.

Several weeks later I attended a Bashar channeling session. I still needed more proof and confirmation of that interdimensional experience. I said to Bashar, "I had an experience with you on your ship - it was a class." Bashar immediately offered, "Yes, it was a fear class. And you get an 'A'." We continued discussing the class for better understanding for myself and those present at the session. We are such powerful, creative beings, and yet we so rarely embrace this within ourselves - most often opting to give our power and our fears away to others.

The class with Bashar allowed me to confront and process my own fears, see the folly of what my fears blow out of proportion. And I felt much more compassion for myself. It transformed my life and view related to spirits, channeling and fear! I saw the power within myself to create! And I realized how great a service spiritual teachers provide for us through channeling and meditation! I released most of my fears of spirit and channeling from that day onward which allowed my own channeling process to blossom.

When we ask (sometimes even from our subconsious), we receive what we need to receive. The answers are all available to us. In meditation or channeling we touch things so profound that our language is quite limited in expressing its fullness. However, here is a beautiful explanation for what one experiences during the channeling process, or even in meditation, when we open to more of our godselves: "I only had to think a question to explore the essence of the answer. In a split second I understood how light works, the ways in which spirit is incorporated into the physical life, why it is possible for people to think and act in so many different ways."(ibid, p. 30) With this magnificent ability within each of us, why wouldn't we want to explore it? And it's all available within each one of us, right where we are.

Mediumship is the form of channeling when we communicate with, or directly channel, astral energies who desire to share messages with family members, or who need or request assistance in transformation and transitioning from one dimension into another, helping in their growth. These spirits have their own agendas. Mediumship along these lines is a very specific practice and sometimes requires work with other mediums in order to fulfill the task.

Whether it be channeling or mediumship, energy attracts like energy. So, whatever one's belief systems, personal hidden or open agendas, or foci are, that is what the channel or medium will attract in their practice.

Mediumship is often confused with channeling when the mediums believe they are channeling great teachers from another dimension only to discover that they are, in fact, tapping into aspects of themselves, (including past lifetimes or aspects of their oversoul who may or may not be mentors), or denser energies (astrals); energies that may carry and transfer agendas of fear, control, manipulation, addictions, anger, or dangerous abuse. Sadly, these mediums often are abused because they lack knowledge, good training in mediumship or channeling, and have not done their own inner work (processing their own shadow, negative ego, sub-personalities, or hidden agendas), which leaves the door open to attracting these entities. Then the medium/channel may not know how to deal with it.

What is becoming more commonplace are mediums or channels who thought they were tuning into great mentors but were actually channeling astrals or aspects of themselves, sub-personalities. In turn, then, many of these untrained and often misinformed channels believe that these entities are negatively-oriented extraterrestrials with an agenda to overpower the Earth, control or destroy humanity, often are into many negative conspiracy theories - since there are some parallels between the negative abduction experience and the astral plane. In-depth study may yield great insight into what is really taking place.

There is a fine line in channeling. One must not be an open door to channeling every energy, all of the time. Those channelers who have not trained with a good teacher and do not participate in their own inner growth process can fall prey to negative possibile scenarios, i.e., channeling aspects of themselves sometimes perceived as devils, negative ETs, or astrals.

We can all become clear channels by tuning our inner radio dials into the frequency we want - without the static. So, how do we connect with true teachers and avoid the pitfalls in channeling? How can we tell who is who, what is what? What are we tuning into, and what is tuning into us? Are they spirits or man-made frequencies? What are our goals and intentions in channeling? (What do we want to use it for?) Who or what do we want to channel? Who do we trust or give our power away to? Do we really know ourselves as well as we thought? Will this be enjoyable or fulfilling, provide a real service to anyone? How can we become a clear channel?

Well, one can't suddenly decide they are going to become a surgeon without first having the necessary study and practice of medicine and surgery. It takes education, time, dedication, growth, awareness, courage to care, trust, responsibility, and especially a good teacher who transfers knowledge and wisdom not only through words, but through their eletromagentism (light).

Channeling is the same as becoming a surgeon, for example. A person may spontaneously begin channeling while in meditation, but that does not automatically make or guarantee a great channeler. Becoming an adept also requires having all the above, plus participation in our own growth process, in all layers of our consciousness and multidimensionality. It means clearing out our personal agendas, (sub-personalities, shadow self, negative ego), which can taint the channeling. Processing in our own growth, i.e., understanding, transforming and integrating anger, fear, control, manipulation, is absolutely necessary in becoming a clear channel. A good channeling teacher should afford their student with all of the studies in channeling (including mediumship, telepathy, clairvoyance, counseling, inner growth processes), with lots of supervised, practical "hands-on" experience.

For channels who wish to work with a particular guide or teacher I offer the following: We must know what we are doing when we go into an altered state and ask to connect with a being. We must know with whom we are communicating (by asking and then having confirmation in the validity of the information received), and how to develop this relationship with trust, honesty, integrity and authenticity. If one doesn't know what they are doing or with whom they are in communication - it is strongly advised they get help from a good teacher or knowledgeable counselor.

We must treat the channeling relationship as any serious relationship. Nurture it, love it, be excited by it, learn from it. The point is not to be in fear or feel we need protection from anything, as everything is a part of ourselves and part of the Source, and a reflection. (Sometimes people feel they must cover themselves with so much protection that no one can get through!) Rather, it is in knowing ourselves, setting up what we prefer based on solid information, intent, honoring ourselves and the power within ourselves, and our own feelings, opening up to receiving what we set our sights on, which creates a safe atmosphere. Discernment is a key word in following our desire to be a clear channel, and then co-creating what we want with the entity we are channeling.

These additional guidelines are major factors in creating a good channeling environment: Intention, focus, in touch with our emotions, needs, honesty, discernment, fine tuning, asking, receiving what we asked for , being a clear channel so it comes through how it needs to. Respecting ourselves, the entity and those participating in the channeling as equals. Being in the love, trust and feeling deserving of receiving what comes from the highest sources, for the highest good and growth of all, with harm to none. And don't forget to feel gratitude for yourself and your teachers: this opens you up to receiving more.

How do we know if what is being channeled is truly a teacher? A being of light who is a true teacher (including our higher self) is there for us first, and always, and WILL bring us more love, light, clarity, joy, energy, compassion, self-empowerment, inspiration, unity, healing and abundance. These beings speak from their heart to our heart. They offer suggestions and choices, give us tools which assist us in our growth, see us as an equal, honor our free will (sovereignty), personal growth and discovery and are available to us with complete, unconditional love and harm to none. The information received from them will be confirmed at some point and their information will be helpful and reliable time after time, with allowance for our own timing and growth process, and honoring our choices in creating our own reality. They offer the fact that they are not perfect nor know it all. Sometimes they, too, are not privvy to EVERYTHING. They also learn from us and value our knowledge, love and input! We help one another. We will feel uplifted, hopeful, feel more of our full potential and tenderly touched in our heart after communicating with these beings.

A true teacher is not needy. They will NEVER order us to do anything, demand worship, manipulate us, make us feel inferior or treat us like a dependent, provide all the answers for us, attempt to control us or be our only source of information. Nor will they place us in fear, anger or powerlessness, be abusive, jeopardize us or others, or encourage us to harm ourselves or others, or feel superior to others. They will never make us think their way is the only way, nor will they build up our negative ego, nor have any conflict of emotions (no anger). A true teacher will never insist we cut off family, friends, society, deny our full human self including our emotions and sexuality, deplete our energy, or leave us feeling helpless or worse off than when we came to them for assistance.

If a harmful, negatively oriented energy has been your experience, it is a great time to look at what you have attracted to yourself and why. It may require some great soul-searching and it will have been worth it if you understand and process it. Remember - energy attracts like energy...so this is your mirror. Perhaps your path is learning through this particular doorway? There are no mistakes or victims; only ignorance, lack of training/knowledge, and fears of facing yourself. If you cannot do this inner work on your own, find someone qualified who can help you.

Channeling is a never-ending process, always requiring refinement. By taking responsibility for ourselves and what comes through we enable ourselves to be a clear, mature metaphysician and channeler. And, hopefully with the guidelines mentioned above, we are now more capable of determining what is clear, authentic channeling, and some warning signs of those which aren't.

All power and the ability to change comes from within the self, the creator within us. And the more we grow, know, love and respect ourselves, the more likely it is we will attract greater teachers who will be attracted to us through affinity, and offer us even more potentials for growth. Clear channeling offers these possibilities to all of us. And within this complete process lie such wondrous gifts and miracles to the self, humanity and the planet. If you are interested in learning more about channeling, including being a professional channel, please read about "So, You Want To Channel?".

---

* Addendum:
In regards to the differences between mediumship and channeling, I offer this further explanation:
Both mediumship and channeling involve acting as an intermediary - I prefer the term bridge - between worlds/dimensions. When I was working on an article on channeling, I asked the avatar Torah hir definitions of mediumship and channeling. Torah said [what is quoted in the above article]: "Channeling is when you are primarily providing a service of counseling, teaching or healing for yourself and others. Mediumship is primarily providing a service to spiritual entities, who have their specific agendas." While both may provide healing, I feel the key words in the mediumship definition "their specific agendas" explains it very clearly. Let's use a couple of known personalities as an example: It's like comparing the specialties and services of John Edward (medium) to those of Jach Pursel (channel).

Having been both a medium and channel, I agree with Torah's definition. But I think the confusing part might be the word channel, because it's a noun and a verb. (In this definition given it's a noun.) As mediums we do channel entities, but the primary purpose is for them. For instance, deceased relative wants to give a message to a family member still living in the body. The deceased relative is not a teacher or counselor; it is a personal message that needs to get to a person, that might include some interaction between them (questions and answers).

In channeling, generally speaking, the channel develops a relationship with the entity they channel and together they create a third entity. This relationship is built upon and by having developed trust, love, truth, respect, responsibility, and intention. It is primarily for the channel - but if that channel wants to go public and share that with others, that is also something worked out between them and the entity with whom they work, and that would include an agreed upon focus. It's not like one is an open door to all disembodied spirits. No way. That's not its purpose. It's purpose is more along the lines of what would be in the highest good and growth for all.--- E. Nora Amrani, 2007.